UCO Run Ends In National Semifinals

Bronchos Bow Out Of ITA National Championships Saturday In Semifinals

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Central Oklahoma's run in the ITA Division II National Championships came to an end Saturday afternoon with a loss in the doubles semifinal.

Mei Hasegawa and Ayaka Koga lost 6-3, 6-2 in a match against Nova Southeastern's Natasha Sengphrachanh and Mischa Briggs.

"I'm really proud of the girls for how much grit and fight they showed this week," first-year UCO head women's tennis coach Grace Chadick said. "This was a big tournament with great competition and just to be a semifinalist is a big deal. I think it will help them a lot moving forward as we go into our winter break."

Hasegawa and Koga teamed up for the first time at the ITA Central Region Championships last month in Edmond and the duo went 5-0 to claim the doubles title. That earned them a spot in the national championships.

This week in Tuscaloosa, Hasegawa and Koga went 3-1. They defeated Zofia Dziewiecka and Isabella Stuurman of Menlo College, 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday. Then they knocked off Chia Ying Lu and Asel Calbay of Indiana (Pa.), 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals. There, UCO won 6-2, 6-1 over Benedetta Sensi and Daniela Fernandez Junquera on Friday afternoon.

Saturday, UCO's duo faced the No. 1 seed from Nova Southeastern and lost in straight sets. The Bronchos were the No. 4 overall seed in the 32-team tournament.

Hasegawa also competed earlier in the week in the ITA singles national championship. She beat Fabienne Lahn of Chestnut Hill College on Wednesday before falling to Olesya Stokusova from North Georgia in the Round of 16.

Central Oklahoma will now break from fall play and returns to the court in 2027.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Mei Hasegawa: 5' 4"; Junior

Ayaka Koga: 5' 3"; Senior

Players Mentioned

Mei Hasegawa
: 5' 4"; Junior

Ayaka Koga
: 5' 3"; Senior